A major revamp of Kangaroo Island Airport has seen a substantial upgrade to the holiday destination’s facilities including a new arrivals and services area constructed with Alspec high performance window and door framing products. Officially opened in July this year, the upgraded airport can now accept larger aircraft, improving access for visitors from the east coast of Australia, who now no longer need to travel via Adelaide. The upgrade included improvements to the runways, new arrival and departure areas, new retail spaces and revamps of the baggage and passenger screening areas, all of which occurred while the airport continued to operate.

Three key Alspec products were used during construction of the new spaces: Hunter Evo 150mm Single Flush Glazed Framing was used for the large expanses of glass on the buildings perimeters while ProGlide High Performance Sliding Doors and Swan 45mm Commercial Doors were used to provide access to the new areas. Hunter Evo flush glazed framing is a favourite in the commercial environment because of its robust construction and excellent weathering properties. Available in both 101.6 and 150mm frame sizes, Hunter Evo is extremely easy to fabricate and install on site. In a time-crucial project such as this, the speed and ease of construction was crucial to minimise disruption to ongoing services during the construction period.

The new arrivals and retail areas now feature both indoor and outdoor viewing locations, thanks to the inclusion of ProGlide High Performance Sliding Doors. Able to accommodate large expanses of single or double glazed glass, the ProGlide doors are a solid, durable product which perform well in all weather extremes and meet the toughest energy and acoustic demands. The doors provide access to the new north-facing viewing area which features an outdoor deck from which visitors can observe arrivals and departures.

Meanwhile, where hinged or pivoted doors were required, Swan 45mm Commercial Doors were selected. Widely used for shopfronts throughout Australia, the doors can accommodate up to 28mm glass and feature centre pocket glazing. The advantages of centre-pocket glazing include a lack of vertical glazing beads (improved security), lower costs to construct and a clean visual appearance. Like the ProGlide sliding doors, the Swan doors can accommodate a full range of accessories and hardware including locks, hinges, door closers and handles as required for varying security needs.

With more than 30,000 domestic visitors expected to visit the popular location each year, the Kangaroo Island Airport now provides a modern, inviting arrival and departure facility which is well equipped to meet the demands of the air travel services environment.

Architect: Ashley Halliday Architects / Instagram: @ashleyhallidayarchitects
Builder: Mossop Group
Fabricator: Aluco
Opened: July 2018
Powdercoat Finish: 25UM Black anodised
Photographer: Sam Noonan / Instagram: @sam_noonan_photo

Alspec Products Used:
Hunter Evo 150mm Single Flush Glazed Framing
ProGlide® High Performance Sliding Door